1. Presidential election in the Czech Republic
Tags: Person in news International News
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In the Czech Republic, retired army general Petr Pavel won the presidential election, defeating billionaire businesswoman Andrej Babis.
An overview of the news
Retired general Petr Pavel will replace controversial incumbent President Milos Zeman.
During the election, General Pavel got 58.2 percent of the votes while Andrzej Babis got 42.8 percent.
General Powell has been Chairman of the Military Committee of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
General Powell has been an outspoken supporter of the European Union and NATO.
Pavel has repeatedly expressed his support for providing military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine during the Russia–Ukraine conflict.
About Czech Republic
It is a landlocked country in Central Europe.
Prime Minister - Petr Fiala
Capital - Prague
Currency - Czech koruna.
2. UN General Assembly president to visit India from Jan 29-31
Tags: International Relations International News
United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) President Saba Korosi will visit India from January 29-31 to discuss multilateral and regional issues.
An overview of the news
Korosi, Hungarian diplomat who served as his country's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, is visiting India at the invitation of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.
He became the President of the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly in September 2022.
Besides holding talks with Jaishankar on key multilateral and regional issues of mutual interest, Korosi will hold talks with senior officials of NITI Aayog and India's G20 Presidency team.
On January 30, Korosi will deliver a public speech at the Indian Council of World Affairs on the topic "Solidarity, Sustainability and Solutions through Science at the United Nations".
He will also attend the "Beating the Retreat" ceremony on January 29 and pay floral tributes to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat on January 30 on the occasion of Martyrs' Day.
On January 31, Korosi will travel to Bengaluru, which will include an interaction with scientists from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and a field visit to an IISc-led water conservation project.
United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)
It is the United Nation’s chief policy-making and representative organ and was created in 1945.
It is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN).
It serves as the main deliberative, policy making and representative organ of the United Nations.
Its powers, structure, functions and procedures are set out in Chapter IV of the United Nations Charter.
Its main functions are to prepare the budget of the United Nations, appoint non-permanent members to the Security Council, appoint the Secretary-General of the United Nations, receive reports from other parts of the United Nations system, and make recommendations through resolutions.
3. Govt renames Delhi's Mughal Gardens as 'Amrit Udyan'
Tags: National News
The Central government on 28 January renamed the Mughal Gardens in New Delhi's Rashtrapati Bhavan as 'Amrit Udyan'.
An overview of the news
In keeping with the theme of 'Amrit Mahotsav' to commemorate 75 years of India's independence, the Union Government has renamed the Mughal Gardens as Amrit Udyan.
On the occasion of 'Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav', the President of India has given a common name to Rashtrapati Bhavan Gardens as Amrit Udyan.
The Central Government had last year renamed Delhi’s iconic Rajpath as “Kartavya Path”.
Rashtrapati Bhavan has a rich variety of gardens. Basically, they include East Lawn, Central Lawn, Long Garden and Circular Garden.
This time the gardens (Herbal Garden, Bonsai Garden, Central Lawn, Long Garden and Circular Garden) will remain open for about two months.
The gardens will open for the general public on January 31, 2023 and will remain open till March 26, 2023, except on Mondays.
About Mughal Gardens
The Mughal Gardens were designed by Edwin Lutyens in 1917, and the first saplings were planted in 1928–1929.
Like the Rashtrapati Bhavan building, which has two different styles of architecture, Indian and Western.
Lutyens brought together two different horticultural traditions, the Mughal style and the English flower garden, for the gardens.
More gardens namely Herbal-I, Herbal-II, Tactile Garden, Bonsai Garden and Arogya Vanam were developed during the tenure of former Presidents Dr APJ Abdul Kalam and Ram Nath Kovind.
4. Khadi Fest-23 inaugurated in Mumbai
Tags: Festivals National News
Manoj Kumar, Chairman, Khadi and Village Industries Commission, inaugurated the Khadi Fest- 23 which will run from January 27 to February 24, 2023 at the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) Headquarters in Mumbai.
An overview of the news
Events and exhibitions like Khadi Fest, Khadi Institutions, Prime Minister's Employment Generation Program - PMEGP and Fund Scheme for Regeneration of Traditional Industries - SFURTI units provide a platform to bring thousands of artisan products directly to the customers.
The fest will showcase apparel made of Khadi, Pashmina, Kalamkari, Phulkari, Tussar silk, etc while Dry-fruits, Tea, Kahwa, Honey, Bamboo Products, Carpets, Aloe Vera Products and others will be up for sale.
On 2 October this year, Khadi India's Delhi outlet created an all-time record of selling Khadi worth Rs 1.34 crore in a single day.
Last year, there was a record sale of one lakh fifteen thousand crore rupees of Khadi and village industry items.
Apart from this, the Khadi Fest-2022 held on 3rd October registered a sale of Rs.3.03 crore.
Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC)
The Khadi Village Industries Commission was established in 1957 under the Khadi and Village Industries Commission Act 1956.
It is under the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.
It is responsible, along with other agencies, for the planning, promotion, organisation and implementation of programs for the development of Khadi and other village industries in rural areas.
KVIC Chairman: Manoj Kumar
5. Startup-20's two-day inception meeting begins in Hyderabad
Tags: Economy/Finance National News
A two-day inception meeting of the Startup-20, the new engagement group of G-20 initiated by India, has begun in Hyderabad on 28 January.
An overview of the news
Union Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy, G-20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant, Startup-20 President Chintan Vaishnav, JS Ashish Sinha from G-20 Secretariat and around 180 delegates from G-20 participated.
As part of India's G20 presidency, a number of meetings and events will be held at various places across the country.
It will provide a common platform to startups from G20 member countries to discuss a range of issues related to their establishment and operations.
It aims to bridge the knowledge gap in the startup ecosystem economies of the member countries.
This will help the government to make startup friendly policies.
About Startup -20
Startup 20 is an important working group in the context of the need to generate more entrepreneurs for a growing economy.
Startup 20 is based on three distinct pillars which include Foundations and Alliances, Finance and Inclusivity and Sustainability.
The main objective of Startup 20 is to create a conducive environment for startups by increasing synergy between startups, corporates, investors, innovation agencies and other key ecosystem stakeholders.
With its rich background of culture of innovation, Hyderabad is an ideal location for the inception ceremony of Startup 20 of G20 group.
Startup 20 activities will include five events including Inception Meet, Summit and three other intervention events in different parts of India.
Startup 20 Summit will be held in Gurugram from 3rd July.
6. Luminous to build India's first green solar panel factory in Uttarakhand
Tags: National News
Luminous Power Technologies on 27 January announced its plan to build the country's first green energy-based solar panel manufacturing factory in Uttarakhand.
An overview of the news
The new manufacturing plant located in Rudrapur is expected to be fully operational by the end of 2023.
This state-of-the-art facility will be equipped with the latest technology to design and produce high quality solar panels that will be used for both residential and commercial applications.
Spread over 4.5 lakh sq ft/10 acres, the facility will help enable a solar generation capacity of 500 MW per annum, which can be scaled up to 1 GW.
It will produce a range of solar panels with power output from 40W to 600W.
The plant has been certified as a green facility by the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC) and will reduce CO2 emissions by over 70 million tonnes per year.
This solar panel facility is completely robotic and will harness energy from 100 percent solar power.
7. Coal India Ltd to Launch M-Sand Projects in a Big Way
Tags: Economy/Finance National News
With a focus on cost-effective and high-quality sand production, Coal India Limited's subsidiaries will commission five M-Sand (sand) plants by 2024.
An overview of the news
Sand is classified as a "minor mineral" under the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957.
Administrative control of minor minerals rests with the state governments and is regulated through state specific rules.
Due to high demand, regular supply and complete ban on sand mining to protect the river ecosystem during monsoon, it has become very necessary to find an alternative to river sand.
The 'Sand Mining Framework' (2018) prepared by the Ministry of Mines envisages alternative sources of sand obtained in the form of sand (M-Sand) manufactured from crushed rock fines (crusher dust) from overburden (OB) of coal mines .
During 'opencast mining', the top soil and rocks are removed as waste and the broken rock (overburden or OB) is dumped in the dump to extract the coal.
What is M-sand?
It is a form of artificial sand, which is made by crushing hard stones, mainly rocks or granite, into fine particles, which are then washed and pulverized.
It is widely used as a substitute for river sand for construction purposes, mostly in the production of concrete and mortar mixes.
Advantages of M-sand
Using manufactured sand is more economical than using natural sand, as it can be produced in large quantities at a lower cost.
This sand can have a uniform grain size, which can be beneficial for construction projects that require a specific type of sand.
The use of manufactured sand reduces the need for mining natural sand. The mining of natural sand has negative environmental impacts.
Its use can help reduce the amount of water needed for construction projects, as it does not need to be washed before use.
Manufactured sand is more granular and has a rougher surface, making it more practical for construction projects.
8. Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) launches “Nidhi Aapke Nikat 2.0”
Tags: Economy/Finance National News
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Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) launched “Nidhi Aapke Nikat 2.0”- A District Outreach Program for expanding its presence in more than 685 districts of the country on 27 January.
An overview of the news
It was e-launched by Arti Ahuja, Secretary (Ministry of Labour & Employment) from the EPFO Headquarters, in the presence of Central Provident Fund Commissioner (CPFC) and officers of EPFO.
It is a massive district outreach program in all the districts of the country through Nidhi Aapke Nikat program.
The objective of this program is to reach all the districts of the country on the same day i.e. 27th of every month. EPFO has organised camps in 685 districts of the country.
About EPFO
Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) is a statutory organisation set up under the Union ministry of Labour and Employment was set up in 1951 by an Ordinance issued by the President.
Later Parliament passed the Employees' Provident Funds Scheme, act 1952.
It is the country’s largest social security organisation.
EPFO assists the Central Board of Trustees in the administration of a provident fund scheme, pension scheme and an insurance scheme for the registered establishments in India.
9. 'She Feeds the World' program
Tags: National News
The 'She Feeds the World' program has been launched by PepsiCo and CARE in India.
An overview of the news
The program will be initially implemented in Coochbehar and Alipurduar districts of West Bengal.
Through this program, PepsiCo and CARE aim to improve the status of over 48,000 women. More than 1.5 million people of West Bengal will benefit from this program.
The main objective of this program is to increase crop yield, increase income of women of BPL families, ensure access to healthy and balanced diet as well as provide training to women on sustainable agriculture.
Women will be empowered in the agriculture sector through the programme, which will primarily focus on small-scale women producers.
In developing countries, women make up about half the number of men in agricultural work and work 13 hours more per week than men.
Research shows that if women farmers are given the same access to resources as men, they can increase their farm yields by 20-30 percent, potentially reducing the number of hungry people in the world by 150 million can be reduced.
10. India, South Africa sign MoU to introduce 12 African Cheetahs annually over next eight to ten years
Tags: International News
India and South Africa on 27 January signed a Memorandum of Understanding to introduce 12 African Cheetahs annually over the next eight to ten year.
An overview of the news
As per the agreement, an initial batch of 12 cheetahs will be brought from South Africa to India during February 2023.
These cheetahs will be joined by eight cheetahs brought to India from Namibia during 2022.
Increasing the cheetah population is a priority for the Government of India and its conservation will have important and far-reaching consequences, aiming to achieve a number of ecological objectives.
After the import of 12 cheetahs in February, there are plans to move 12 cheetahs annually for the next 8 to 10 years.
The initiative to reintroduce the cheetah to India comes after a request from the Indian government, after the species had become locally extinct due to over-hunting and habitat loss.
Reintroduction Action Plan
Reintroduction of a species means releasing it in an area where it is capable of surviving.
Under the scheme, 50 cheetahs will be released in various national parks of the country over a period of 5 years.
Extinction of cheetahs
The last cheetah of the country was found dead in the year 1947 in Chhattisgarh and in the year 1952 it was declared extinct in the country.
Habitat loss, conflict with humans, poaching and high susceptibility to diseases are the major causes of their extinction.
About ‘Project Cheetah’
This is a one of its kind project in which a species is being brought out of the country (from South Africa / Namibia) and restored to the country.
The subspecies of the extinct cheetah in India was the Asiatic cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus venaticus) and the subspecies of the cheetah being brought back to the country is the African cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus jubatus).
Research has shown that the genes of both these subspecies are similar.
